


Observations of a Barista

by RenkonNairu



Category: DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Day 6, Gen, M/M, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Tim/Kon Week, Tim/Kon Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24193375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenkonNairu/pseuds/RenkonNairu
Summary: Superboy and Robin have been coming to your coffee shop for as long as you've worked there.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 10
Kudos: 84
Collections: TimKon Week





	Observations of a Barista

You were just a new hire the first time you saw them. Still in training and trying to pay attention to the shift supervisor explain the espresso machine to you. 

They came in like a whirlwind. 

Actually, it was a whirlwind because Impulse came in first. 

You had no idea what was going on. The door flew open, there was a sudden rush of air (even though there wasn’t even a breeze outside that day), then, suddenly, there was a kid in costume, with his face pressed to the glass of the pastry case. 

He ordered everything, and you were still trying to get all your hair back up under the barista hat, unable to even process what he said. 

Impulse was soon followed by Wonder Girl, Superboy, and one of the Robins. It was the Robin that carried the wallet. No one was getting anything without Robin. 

Your supervisor pushes you out of the way with a softly muttered but confident declaration, “I got this.”

Living in a major metropolitan city, it was not unusual to see superheroes –even teenaged ones- out and about around town. If you were on the bus to work, and the bus was suddenly diverted onto an alternate route, chances were a costume was involved. If more than two sirens were heading in the same direction, and crowds of pedestrians were running full bore in the opposite direction, chances were a costume was involved. Heck! Sometimes it didn’t have to be a major crime or catastrophe. Sometimes you just was them flying overhead. Not a bird, not a plane, just an over powered dork in a costume. 

You fill boxes upon boxes. Every pastry that was in the case is now sitting on the counter, half of them already vanished down Impulse’s gullet before you even start making the coffees for Wonder Girl, Superboy, and Robin. 

All the items rung up makes the register slow, and Robin is still in the process of paying when you put the coffees up. Superboy takes both his own and Robin’s, bringing it to his teammate. 

They stand unnecessarily close to each other, and you wonder if maybe they might be more than just teammates. 

…

You soon figure out that your café must be close to their headquarters, wherever in the city it is. Because they’re in there often. Not always the whole team at once. Sometimes is just Wondergirl and Arrowette. Sometimes it’s just Impulse, Superboy, and Robin. Sometimes it is all five of them. Sometimes just one of them. Eventually they start bringing in other members too. Slobo, and the Ray. But, always, you can’t help but notice, Superboy and Robin come in together. Not just at the same visit, but, back to back. One immediately following the other. Usually so close to each other they could be holding hands. 

Except they’re not. 

But you feel they should be. 

…

This continues even after Young Justice is disbanded and absorbed into the older and more established Teen Titans. 

They don’t come in as much anymore since their headquarters are in another city. But, every now and again, maybe for tradition’s sake? Some of the original four would come in. Wonder Girl might dash in, order a pumpkin spice latte, then dash back out again. Impulse would clean them out of all their pastries and packaged foods. Superboy and Robin would come in together, order drinks, and get a table in the corner and just… sit together. 

…

You’re a shift supervisor now.

You’ve gotten so used to seeing Superboy and Robin together that it’s strange to see one without the other. 

So, when Robin comes in by himself one day, you’re a little thrown. You look over Robin’s shoulder, as if expecting the other boy to come flying in after his companion and ramble off an explanation for being tardy. 

But the door did not burst open and a flying teenager in an unimpressive t-shirt did not swoop in. Robin came in for coffee without Superboy for once, and you can’t help but wonder what happened?

You’re so thrown, in fact, that you just have to comment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without Superboy before.”

And you regret the comment the moment it’s out of your mouth. 

Robin is wearing a mask. It’s impossible for you to see his whole expression but his bottom lip quivers, the corners of his mouth twitch asymmetrically, his eyebrows tilted. Under the mask, you got the distinct feeling he was blinking to keep from bursting into tears. 

“He-“ Robin falters, almost as if he’s experiencing physical pain just talking about his teammate. “He won’t be coming in anymore.”

Robin leaves without ordering anything, and you don’t see him again for a very long time. 

…

Wonder Girl still comes in from time to time. 

One day you screw up the courage to ask her about her teammates and why you never see them anymore. 

She looks so sad and forlorn and just comments on how you’ve worked at the same café for so long. It’s nice to have something so stable and constant she can rely on. She thanks you for always being there. 

You get the distinct feeling that –whatever was going on with Robin- was a real mess and absolutely none of your business. 

…

Days come and go. Months pass. You do your job, and you do it well. 

You’re now the Manager of the location. The shift supervisor for that night called out sick and you’re training the new hire yourself. It’s a quiet night, and things are pretty slow. The perfect time for training, actually. 

Then the doors burst open and a whirlwind of air breezes through the café. 

Kid Flash is there with his face pressed to the glass of the pastry case, and he orders everything in it. 

…And you experience the most extreme feeling of déjà vu you’ve ever had. 

Wonder Girl is next through the door. Followed by Superboy, and Red Robin… and they’re holding hands. 

You almost drop the tongs you’re holding –but you don’t. 

You –very calmly- tell the new hire, “I got this.”

You’ll take care of ringing them up if they could just pack up all the pastries and make the drinks. 

All the items Kid Flash ordered make the registers slow, they hadn’t updated the register software in over a decade. Robin and Superboy’s drinks are ready before the computer has even finished calculating the total. 

Superboy set’s Red Robin’s drink down on the counter next to were he’s counting out over a hundred dollar’s worth of coffee and food in cash. 

Superboy leans down to press a kiss to the side of Red Robin’s cowl, and Red Robin turns to reciprocate, brushing chapped lips against the bottom of Superboy’s chin. 

Both actions were so casual, Red Robin didn’t even lose count of the money while doing it. Like it was just second nature to them. 

Watching it, you can’t help but feel an odd sensation of vicarious completion. 

Superboy and Red Robin are together. 

All’s right with the world. 

…

END


End file.
